Improvement in flooring-jacks



` D. A. FBRRIS. Flooring-Jack.

No. 209,390. Panwt. 29, 187s.

INVENTOB.: y/Mf ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. PHDTc-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D c. l

UNITED STADA-Is- IEAI'EN'I'- OFFICE.

DAVID A. FERRIS, OF TIOGA CENTRE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT |N FLOORING-JACKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,390, dated October 29, 1878 application iiled August 28, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID ADDISON FER'- RIs, of Tioga Centre, in the county of Tioga and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Floorin g-J ack, of which the following is a specification:

Figure l is a side view ot' my improved iiooring-jack, illustrating its use. Fig. 2 is a .top View of the same, the hand-lever being shown in cross-section. Fig. 3 is a detail crosssection of the same, taken through the line .r Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish an improvedimplement forforcingflooring-planks together when laying floors, and which shall be simple in construction, convenient in use, and powerful in operation, forcing the planks tightly to their places.

The invention consists in the combination of the handllever, the push-rods and their crossbar, the foot-lever, the clamping-levers, and the springs with each other, and with the basebar and its plank; and in the combination of the ratchetbar and the pawl with the foot-lever and the handlever, for lookin g the clamping-levers and the said hand-lever in place, as

'hereinafter fully described.

A represents a bar of wood, of convenient size, and providedy with points upon its lower side to enter the upper edge of the joists, upon which the door is to be laid, to prevent the said bar from slipping upon the said joists. To the rear upper part of the bar A is attached the lower edge of a strip ot' plank, B.

C is the hand-lever, the lower part of which is slotted to receive the plank B, and is pivoted, at a little distance from its lower end, to

the said plank by a pin or bolt, c1. To the lower end of the lever C is pivoted, by a pin or bolt, o2, which passes through a curved slot in the .plank B, the rear ends of two rods, D. The forward ends of the rods D are rigidly attached to the end parts of a cross-bar, E, which is designed to rest against the edge of the floor-plank to be forced into place, or against a block placed against the said edge.

F is a foot-lever, the rear end ot' which is slotted to receive the forward end of the plank B, and is pivoted to the said plank by a pin or bolt, f.

The foot-lever F, when Vturned down, rests between the beveled upper ends of two levers, G, which are pivoted to and between two crossbars, H, attached tothe upperforwarol part of the base-bar A.

The lower ends of the levers G proj ect downward upon the opposite sides of the joist, and have points attached to their inner edges to prevent them from slipping.

With this construction, when the foot-lever F is pressed down ward the levers G clamp the joist, and thus hold the machine from slipping back when applying pressure. Y When the footlever F is raised the upper ends of the clampin g-levers G are forced toward each other, withdrawing their lower ends from the joist, by two springs, I, attached to one of the. crossbars H, and connected with the upper ends ot' the said clamping-levers G.

To the upper side of the foot-lever F is attached a toothed bar, J, with the teeth of which engages the end of the pawl K, the other end of which is pivoted to the hand-lever C, so as to hold the licor-plank in place until it is nailed.

This device is only needed when one man is employed in laying the loor. When two or more menare employed the pawl and ratchetbar K J need not be used, as one man can hold the plank in place while another is nailing it.

When the pawl K is not in use it may be turned up along the lever C, and secured in place by a ring, L, slipped down upon the said lever C and the said pawl K.

The rods D and cross-bar E are kept from swinging down below the basebar A, when the machine is being used, by the cross-bar M, attached to the base-bar A, and upon the end parts of which the said rods D rest.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination of the hand-lever C, the rods D, the cross-bar E, the foot-lever F, the ratchet-bar J, the pawl K, the clamping-levers G, and the springsL with each other, and with the base-bar A auch the plank B, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the ratchet-bar J and the pawl K with the foot-lever F and the handlever G, for locking the clampinglevers G and the said hand-lever G in place, substantially as herein shown and described.

DAVID ADDISON FERBIS.

WVitnesses:

GEORGE LEONARD, FRANK TEIDE. 

